Chicago Bears notes: Lake Zurich’s Jack Sanborn has 2 sacks in loss to Detroit Lions

CHICAGO – Jack Sanborn had his first career NFL interception for a fleeting moment.

With 11:42 remaining in what ultimately became a Bears’ loss, 31-30, to the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Soldier Field, the rookie linebacker intercepted quarterback Jared Goff at the Bears’ 8-yard line. It seemingly halted a potential Lions’ scoring drive.

There was, however, a flag on the field. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson drew a penalty for an illegal hands to the face to negate the interception. The Lions then cashed in on a 9-yard touchdown run by D’Andre Swift to pull them within seven points.

“We were kind of preparing for that route a little bit all week,” Sanborn said. “I was going to help [linebacker] Nick [Morrow] on the inside in case they ran an angle route right there. I knew the back took it more vertical than we originally thought. I was just there to instill a little bit of presence and Goff tried to get it over the top but didn’t.”

“Just wasn’t meant to be, I guess. But, got to be able to move on.”

Sanborn said postgame he saw a still image of the play on the sideline tablet, but he had “no idea” whether the penalty was debatable or not. Johnson, who was called for the penalty, declined interview requests after the game.

“I think it’s tough, not [for] me, but for the entire team,” Sanborn said. “It could’ve been a big moment, but wasn’t meant to be.”

The reversed interception, while inevitably a sizable blip on the collective radar, wasn’t the only standout moment of the afternoon for Sanborn.

He led the defense with 12 combined tackles and managed to get two sacks in the effort, the first two sacks of his NFL career. Sanborn stepped into the starting lineup last week after the team traded star linebacker Roquan Smith.

“I think with the more experience you get, more reps and everything like that, the more comfortable and confident you become,” Sanborn said. “Experience is the best teacher, and so, with more reps like that, you have [to feel] more comfortable.”

The first sack came in the second quarter when Goff attempted to scramble inside the Bears’ 5-yard-line. The drive ultimately ended with a touchdown. The second sack came toward the end of the third quarter.

“I got free. One of them, [Goff] was rolling out [and he] could’ve thrown the ball away [and] decided not to,” Sanborn said. “The other one, I got free and made sure to wrap him up.”

Bears coach Matt Eberflus noted Sanborn is “very instinctual” on the field and that the Bears are “very pleased” with what he has shown in the last two games.

Missed extra point looms large: The Bears lost by one point. In the fourth quarter, quarterback Justin Fields broke free for a 67-yard touchdown run to give his team the lead. The score was the longest rushing touchdown ever by a Bears quarterback, besting Fields’ 61-yard run that set the record last week.

But kicker Cairo Santos missed the extra point. The Bears held a six-point lead with 9:23 remaining in the game. When the Lions scored later in the fourth quarter, an extra point gave them a one-point advantage.

“It’s easy to just count one point and say, ‘Oh, yeah, it’s a tie,’” Santos said. “But there’s so many things that happened. We had opportunities to make plays and help the team win. At that point in the game, we didn’t make the extra point.”

It marked Santos’ first missed kick of any kind since Week 1, when he missed two extra points against the San Francisco 49ers in a torrential downpour at Soldier Field. Santos is 14 for 14 on field goals this season, including four makes from 50 yards and beyond.

Fields banged up: Fields said he was “hurting pretty bad” following the game. The Bears’ QB carried the ball 13 times and totaled 147 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

“Not really from hits, but just my legs are kind of sore,” Fields said. “But other than my legs being sore and of course my ear, I’m fine.”

Fields needed a couple of stitches for a cut on his ear.

It’s fair to wonder if this style of football is going to catch up to the second-year quarterback. Fields is ripping off magical runs and breaking records, but it’s taking a toll on his body.

“You’ve got to be smart,” Eberflus said. “I’ve used the terms wisdom and discernment as he goes through there. There was a couple times where he took a couple shots today, but he also slid and got himself out-of-bounds a couple times.”